AN "exceptional" carer has been nominated for a prestigious Dudley Borough Community Award.

Emily Gardner has been nominated for Care Hero of the Year as part of the Dudley Borough Community Awards 2024, by her manager Vanessa Purvin.

The 25-year-old has been a carer for six years and has worked for Halesowen-based Independence at Home for the last 12 months, in which time she has shown tremendous dedication, especially in helping an elderly man with no family to die at the home he had known since birth, as he wished. 

Vanessa said: "Emily has recently contributed enormously to a gentleman who we supported in the community.

"The gentleman had no family and no support network, Emily ensured she provided round the clock care when needed.

"She worked well with myself as manager and ensured he was supported to remain in his own home to pass away, as he had wished to do, he passed away peacefully at home at the end of June 2024.

"Emily managed and coped exceptionally well during the last few weeks of the gentleman's life, she supported him to have the death he wished to have, in the home he had known since birth.

"It was very important to him that he passed away at home in familiar surroundings with people by his side who knew him well and understood his needs and wished.

"As a team we made this happen, but I feel Emily played a fundamental part in this, the relationship and bond she had developed with the gentleman allowed her to build a trusting and close relationship with him.

"She is an exceptional carer and he made it very clear that he valued her support right up until his passing."

Emily, who lives in Dudley, said she was motivated to become a carer when she would visit her nan, who had dementia, daily in a care home.

She is now training to become a senior carer.

She said: "I was doing bar work at the time, but that really inspired me to go into care.

"I like being able to help people, especially vulnerable people.

"You do develop a close bond with the people you care for, sometimes we are the only people they see during the day."

The awards, brought to you by Stourbridge News and the Halesowen & Dudley News, celebrate the wonderful work that happens across the Dudley Borough within the business, charity, educational, health and community spheres.

People have until Sunday September 22 to nominate those people they want to see rewarded for their hard work and diligence.

Anyone can nominate - from the general public to businesses and other community and charity organisations.

Finalists will be invited to a glittering evening awards event due to be held at 7pm on Thursday, November 21 at the Copthorne Hotel, Dudley.

This year's headline sponsors are Halesowen College and Birmingham Newman University.

Hayley Edwards, head of marketing at Halesowen College, said: "We are sponsoring this year’s Dudley Community Awards to celebrate and recognise the dedicated individuals and community businesses and projects across the Dudley Borough as well as showcasing them to the wider region.

"It's wonderful to see so many local people and groups being acknowledged and awarded for their efforts in making a positive difference within our communities."

Helen Burgoyne, student recruitment and marketing manager at Birmingham Newman University, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the Dudley Borough Community Awards and recognising the people that do fantastic things every day in our community.”

Alicia Kelly, editor of the Stourbridge News and the Halesowen and Dudley News, said: "Thanks to the stories we publish online every day and each week in our newspapers, we know many fantastic people are striving to make a real difference across the Dudley Borough.

"It is a privilege to share their successes with a wider audience and these awards will be another way for us to shine the spotlight on those who deserve our praise and thanks.

This year the awards are made up of 13 categories:

  • Business of the Year
  • New Business of the Year
  • Independent Business of the Year
  • Best Customer Service
  • Best Community Project or Group
  • Volunteer or Fundraiser of the Year
  • Sports Team, Club or Personality of the Year
  • Teacher of the Year
  • Environmental Project of the Year
  • Young Person of the Year
  • Diversity in the Community Award
  • Care Hero of the Year
  • Healthcare Professional of the Year

To nominate visit https://www.dudleynews.co.uk/dudleycommunityawards2024/ Businesses who may be interested in sponsoring the awards should email debra.orr@localiq.co.uk